Trip To Hawaii - Where To Go - Waikiki - Paradise Park - Lyon Arboretum - Manoa Falls - Waahila Ridge State Recreation Area - Sandy Beach - Sacred Falls - USS Nimitz - Kalani Honua Eco-Resort - Mauna Kea Beach

Trip To Hawaii - Where To Go - Waikiki - Paradise Park - Lyon Arboretum - Manoa Falls - Waahila Ridge State Recreation Area - Sandy Beach - Sacred Falls - USS Nimitz - Kalani Honua Eco-Resort - Mauna Kea Beach - Parker Ranch

Personal Minutiae - January 2, 2012

2012.1.2. 8:17 a.m. Monday.

A month ago some neighbors of mine were planning a trip to Hawaii and asked for my opinion regarding where to go. I finally got around to writing the following today.

Dear X and Y (edit),

You two wanted some tips for a trip to Hawaii. Here is my short take on that subject.

A trip to Honolulu will be your least expensive route. There are many inexpensive packages that combine air fare with a hotel stay in Honolulu. You get the warmth and sunshine for which Hawaii is famous. But Waikiki, where your hotel will be, is pretty congested. I had a good friend that lived in a condo on a 30th or 40th floor and the views were amazing. He was just a few blocks from the ocean. Hotels with direct beach access will likely be more expensive. The warm and clean ocean water and clear skies are right there for you in Waikiki. If you stay on Oahu for a few days, let me make a few travel recommendations. You can circle the island in just two hours, so it's not that big. Take your rental car to Paradise Park in Manoa Valley and check out the arboretum and take a 20 minute walk to see Manoa Falls (Trip Advisor, pdf) (Honolulu Mauka Trails System). Just type into Google Maps directions for "Waikiki, Honolulu" going to the various destinations I list.

Another nifty place is Waahila Ridge State Recreation Area, Honolulu, HI, which is just 15 minutes from Waikiki and gives you some nice views and a refreshing breeze amidst a stand of Norfolk Island pines. You can take a stroll on a ridge that overlooks Manoa and Palolo valleys. You get some nice views driving up Tantalus Drive to Round Top in Honolulu, as well as the Pali Lookout off the Pali Highway connecting Honolulu to Kailua.

A less crowded beach that I like a lot is Sandy Beach Park, just past Hawaii Kai and the Koko Head Crater. Beware the surf, as people have broken their necks here!

There are many beaches along the coast the whole way around the island. You can stop anywhere and park along the road.

A half hour north from Sandy Beach, taking you up the "windward" side of the island (the side facing the prevailing Tradewinds), is Sacred Falls State Park, Hauula, HI. It might be a 40 minute walk from the parking lot, but it is well worth it. Be ready to take a plunge in the amazing watering hole there.

Then you head north around the North Shore. You can stop and check out whatever looks interesting. You will be heading south on Highway 2 after you pass Haleiwa. You will pass Pearl Harbor and other sites. If you want to see the memorials there like the Nimitz, go for it.

The Big Island -- or Hawai'i

If you want to get off the beaten path, and have a bit more money and time, I'd recommend getting a connecting flight to Hilo. You can bypass Oahu entirely and take a direct flight from the mainland to Kailua-Kona on the west side and Hilo of the east side of this 266-mile-circumference island.

For something more tropical, lush, and rural, check out Kalani Honua. For less than $100 per night you'll have your own bungalow in the middle of nowhere. Drive to the end of highway where the volcano covered everything with lava adding 100 acres of new land about ten years ago. You can walk right out to the new beach! Drive along the scenic red cider road maintained with plentiful red ash from the volcano. Take a tour or hike down into majestic Waipio Valley just an hour north of Hilo. Along the way make sure to check out Laupahoehoe Point which is a small peninsula where many people died during a 1960s tsunami.

Kalani Honua is a bit alternative and out of the way. It can be more cloudy in this area. You might want to stay in a hotel in Kailua-Kona, where you'll be guaranteed more sunshine. If you're in Kailua-Kona (or in Waikaloa at the Waikaloa Hilton) make sure to spend several afternoons at the AMAZING beach at the five star resort Mauna Kea Beach Hotel. This is a posh set up with the number one beach in the world per Conde Naste Traveler magazine. They have parking for about 30 visitors. You might want to get there before 10:00 am, though I only once had difficulty getting in. There is no fee to the public because they maintain this access as a public service. There is a really peaceful vibe at this beach.

Hookena Beach is also worth checking out south of Kailua-Kona a half hour. One of the largest private ranches in the world (225,000 acres), the Parker Ranch is located in Waimea, about an hour north of Kailua-Kona and just twenty minutes from the Mauna Kea Beach. There might be a museum or a tour of some of its operations. Some of the better restaurants serve beef from the Parker Ranch cattle. First rate!

Wherever you go you can't go wrong! :)

I'll talk to you soon if you need more info.

Happy New Year!

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